Daylight saving time begins tonight. Even though we lose an hour by setting our clocks ahead (and it takes a week or two to adjust to the time change), we get more daytime light at the end of the day to enjoy the garden. And, it’s also time to plant summer garden vegetables cilantro, corn, root crops, squashes and specialty items from seed and vigorously growing peppers, tomatoes and other veggies from pony-packs. Plant tomatoes deep, leaving only the top inch or two sticking out of the soil, because the buried stem will form extra roots, making the plant stronger and more productive. Also plant summer flowers: impatiens, nasturtium, periwinkle, sunflower, lobelia, mimulus, celosia, petunia, marigold, salvia, verbena and more.

2 Weed patrol

Oh, those horrible weeds! Be sure to get rid of them while they are still small so they won’t have a chance to form new seeds that will hide and continue to plague your landscape. Removing weeds also reduces the number of tiny insects called thrips, which enter and feed on immature rose buds and other flowers, turning blossoms a dirty brown. They also cause the scab-like scars that later appear on citrus and stone fruits. Since thrips feed on young petals as they develop, it’s very difficult to stop or control them. So the best control is prevention — by keeping the weeds away.

3 In need of a trim

Plant or prune ground covers to clear away dead portions and to stimulate new growth. Do this for iceplant, ivy, potentilla, wild strawberry and even ferns. If you are looking to put in ground covers, drought-tolerant choices include coyote bush, creeping coprosma, gazania, Mexican evening primrose, rosemary, and verbena. African daisies, gazanias, Mexican evening primroses, and verbenas provide great color, too.

4 Fight apple pests

Prevent wormy apples at harvest time by stopping codling moth larvae now, before they enter the fruit. Adult moths lay eggs that hatch soon after flowers fade. When the tree stops flowering, spray with carbaryl or malathion every 10 days for about six weeks. Then in May, when a second batch of new moths emerges in the neighborhood, start spraying again every 10 days for another six weeks to guarantee worm-free fruit.

5 Repair sprinklers

Repair or replace faulty sprinkler valves and spray heads. Adjust automatic sprinkler settings for springtime watering needs; usually watering once or twice a week is sufficient this month and maybe next, but after that your plants will need more frequent irrigation. Be sure to add extra watering during Santa Ana wind conditions and on hot days.